Hi Char,

If you visit the doctor and you feels pills are not the answer for you they can still refer you to a counsellor. A minimum of six sessions with an impartial person might be what you need here. If you feel that your life is going well but your past is still haunting you then this might help you to be able to deal with some of what you went through as a child and with your previous partner.

That said, friends are there in the rough and the smooth, or they should be- if they are not then they are not true friends. When you share stories, you often find that your friends will have a listening ear or advice to offer if they have been through something similar. You might find that it encourages you to bond with them further and help you before you see a counsellor or in between. The more you talk about it then the less it might weigh you down.

The important thing to remember is that you have managed to secure a good job, a loving relationship and a good life, all from what sounds like a very difficult start indeed, which is something to be proud of. It seems that you need to let people help you once in a while- whether that be a professional, a friend or your partner. You can’t be the rock all the time, sometimes you need to let someone else be yours.